


Divination

by Jinkisducklings



Category: SHINee
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, I really still had no idea what to put here, M/M, Magic, Slow Burn, Wizards
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 13:50:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18389684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jinkisducklings/pseuds/Jinkisducklings
Summary: After both of his older brothers are assassinated, Prince Jinki must return home to take the throne. Given the circumstances, he’s given a new, special guard. Jonghyun Kim of Jyee





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> rollercoasterwrite on tumblr is doing jjongsmonth again this year, and this is my entry(?) for it??  
> I hope you like it ^^  
> The violence warning is for the battles and stuff, I wanted to be safe ^^

            The beautifully gilded walls of the ballroom may have been draped in fine fabrics and precious jewels, but as Jinki stood just to the left of his Father's throne, he thought them to be utterly boring to look at. He also thought that the endless line of guards around the perimeter was a bit overkill. He sighed quietly and ran his hands over the black of his mourning garments. It was odd to not have his brothers beside him, the vacant space cold and deafening. There was a small part of him that wished for the feeling of something missing to disappear, but the bigger part of him didn’t want to be used to the feeling of not having his brothers with him.

            Growing up they hadn’t always gotten along. Jaeho and Jiwoon had been bigger, taller and stronger than he. Part of it was them being years older than him, but the rest was because he had inherited something thought lost in their bloodline. Magic. Instead of playing in the mud outside and learning to ride horses and sword fighting, he was stuck up in the Wizard’s Keep with the almost ancient being he even called Master to the day. Training, learning. What powers he had, the limitations of the ones discovered, and what they meant for the good of the Kingdom and his family. If he tried hard enough, he could hear Jaeho teasing him as he read a book instead of working with the Master at Arms like them. So many afternoons spent under the shade of a tree, watching as his brothers learned to fight with different weapons, getting a feel of the one for them, and eventually mastering them. A whole lot of good the mastery did them though, he thought bitterly.

            He glanced over at his father softly. It seemed like overnight the years deepened the lines on his face. Sure, it had been a few years since he had been home, spending his time in the far land of Bochlis exploring the ancient tomes and scrolls kept protected there, but it surely hadn’t been that long for the grey in his beard to appear so greatly.. Had it? Then again, losing not only the son meant for the throne, but the second as well, had to be devastating in a way Jinki only partly understood. He wishes he was still in Bochlis, surrounded by so many ancient magical artifacts and tomes. For if he was, his brothers would have to still be alive.

            When his father stood, he turned his attention to the center of the room. Approaching was a pair of men. One he recognized as the Captain of the Castle guard, Eunhyuk. The other, he didn’t know, and that fascinated him. The man was dressed simply in dark clothes with an open collar of his shirt. There was a sword at his hip and a dagger poking from one of his knee-high boots. The tiny bit of heel on the boots made Jinki want to smile. Finally, something interesting.

            Eunhyuk and the mystery man deeply bowed in the presence of their King, and Jinki pushed down the urge to raise his eyebrow when the attention quickly shifted to himself. Eunhyuk looked back at the King as he informed him, “I have acquired what you wished for, Your Majesty.”

            “As always, I thank you for your diligence Eunhyuk.” Jinki’s gaze snapped to his father when he was gestured to, “Come forward Son.”

            He let his hands fall from where they had been held in front of him, and bowed his head respectfully. “Yes, Father?”

            “Given the recent circumstance, I’ve increased the strength of your guard.”

            “I am quite aware of that, Father, for I seemingly have an entire regiment outside my door every night.” He completely ignored the way his father was glaring at him.

            “I have lost two of my children and I will not lose my last. This is your new personal guard.” The King’s hand was gesturing to the Mystery Man. “He is to go everywhere with you, do you understand Son?”

            Jinki flicked his gaze to the man carefully before taking the few steps down to the main floor. As he approached the man, he was pleasantly surprised to find him bowing and offering his hand up. He was looking at Jinki with warm eyes, expecting. Hesitantly, he took the offered hand and studied the way a kiss was pressed to his knuckles in a way no one had done since news of his power spread. “Jonghyun Kim of Jyee. It’s a pleasure to serve you, Your Highness.”

            “It seems we shall see just how great of a pleasure it is, Jonghyun Kim of Jyee.”

—-–

            Jinki still wasn’t sure what to make of the man. He could sense something about him, different, than the other guards that stood outside of his door. He couldn’t put a finger on it, not yet anyway, but he knew whatever It was, was the reason the number of guards outside his room and following him around the castle had decreased dramatically. For the first time in weeks he might add, no matter how often he requested them to leave him alone beforehand.

            As they stepped into his rooms, he gestured toward the hallway that led to the left directly from the door. “Down there are a few rooms that could be converted into living quarters for you should you require them. Otherwise, your room would be located in the barracks in the Southern Wing of the Castle.”

            “If you don’t mind sharing your little wing, I would prefer to be closer to you if the need arise for me to get here quickly when I’m off duty, Your Highness.”

            Jinki quirked his eyebrow up, “Do you foresee me needing your assistance in the middle of the night frequently, Jonghyun?”

            “Anything is possible, Your Highness. Have to be prepared.”

—–--

            He closed his eyes as he barely brushed his fingertips over the clothes of Jaeho’s, neatly tucked away in his closet, skin tingling as a memory associated with it descended over him. Laughter spilled tea, and stumbling because of the whiskey poured into the delicate teacup when their tutor wasn’t looking. Jinki smiled softly, remembering the very few shared lessons. Ettique. When he opened his eyes he realized he was touching the shirt he had gotten Jaeho for his 18th birthday. He swallowed thickly before letting his hand fall. Being able to feel the memories tied to items was a blessing, and a curse, wrapped in a tight little bow.

            Jonghyun was across the room, leaning against the wall by the far window. His arms were crossed over his chest, eyes gazing out of the glass toward the back courtyard and the ponds in the gardens. If he noticed the silent tears falling from Jinki’s cheeks, he made no sign or mention, and Jinki was grateful for it. He wiped his eyes with the sleeves of his overcoat, taking a deep breath to center himself. When he opened his eyes again, Jonghyun’s gaze was directly on him. Interesting enough, Jinki couldn’t read him. He turned a little so he was facing the new guard fully. “Tell me, Jonghyun, what made you accept this position?”

            An eyebrow quirked up as the man straightened, “You really had no idea I was being employed, did you, Your Highness?”

            “None in the slightest.”

            “Interesting.”

            “Quite.” He hummed softly. “You didn’t answer my question.”

            “Ah, yes. I apologize, Your Highness.” Jonghyun shrugged, right hand resting on the hilt of his sword on his hip casually. “I have certain qualifications that your father was looking for and the pay is quite nice compared to my previous employment.”

            “So you’ve been,” He cleared his throat as he waved his hand in the air gently. “Informed? Of what I am that is.”

            “I can’t say I completely understand the question, Your Highness.” Jonghyun’s head was slightly cocked to the side as he continued. “You’re the crowned prince, the future king. My Charge.”

            “I am fascinated by the idea that you hold something so special that my Father seems to think you can protect me better than I can on my own.” Jinki smiled gently before he was turning away, walking out of the door. He knew Jonghyun was following by the soft vibrations of his boots against the wood of the floors. Down the hall from Jaeho’s rooms was a walkway that led to his own rooms across the bridge in the Northern Tower of the castle. Jonghyun seemed to be keeping up well enough, from what he could tell without looking behind him. His bedroom door was opened with a flick of his finger and he turned to the right through the doorway that was his library of sorts. A few dozen paces more and he paused in front of a cobblestone wall between to bookcases that rose to the high ceilings.

            “Your Highness?” Jonghyun’s voice was a light, a bit out of breath.

            Jinki grinned. “After you, Jonghyun.”

            “That’s a wall, Sir.”

            “I suppose it is,” He gently pushed his hand against it, chuckling when Jonghyun’s eyes widened as his hand went straight through. “From a certain point of view.”

            “I should warn you that magic doesn’t-” Jinki curled his hand around Jonghyun’s wrist and tugged him behind him, through the wall. Jonghyun blinked as the light shifted. He turned to look at the… Whatever it was and his eyes widened. “I didn’t expect that to work.”

            “You were saying something about magic?”

            He whipped his head around to focus on him in the dim light of the room. “Nothing, Your Majesty.” He cleared his throat. “What is this place?”

            “My safe place.” He quickly replied. He rose his hand and the light in the room brightened. “And when I asked about what you were told about me, I meant this. That I’m a wizard. The first in the royal family in a hundred years.”

            “I was.”

            “Were you told of all of my powers?”

            Jonghyun walked along the curve of the opposite wall, gently running a fingertip over the displays. “I was given a scroll. I’m quite well read on you, Your Highness. I doubt the King would allow me to guard you solely as I am now if I wasn’t well prepared.”

            “I’m almost flattered.” Jinki chirped quietly moving towards the stack of books near the couch against the wall. “I have a scroll.”

            “Doesn’t everything important have one somewhere, Your Highness?”

            He didn’t respond until he was rested on his couch, the tome on his lap. As it was opened to the page he needed, he glanced up at Jonghyun. “That would require my Father to have deemed me important before my brothers’ passings.”

            Jonghyun opened his mouth for a moment before softly shutting it. Jinki was well aware of his movements around the room, even if he didn’t raise his gaze from the words he was reading. Until he heard Jonghyun’s voice again, “Why do you have this place? What in here needs to be hidden?”

            “What makes you think its purpose is for hiding something?”

            “The magic wall-that’s-not-really-a-wall, Your Highness.”

            Jinki chuckled quietly, putting his hand palm down on the book and looking up. “I created this room when I was thirteen. The room existed, but instead of that mirage, you see there was a normal doorway. If anything in here needs to be hidden, it was me and always has been. I don’t belong here.”

            “Here?”

            “This castle, this Kingdom. I was never meant to be King.” Jinki tapped his ring-covered fingers on the thick, rough pages of the book as he thought about his choice of words. “If my brothers were still alive, I’d still be deep within the archives of Bochlis.”

            “I’ve been there once,” Jonghyun commented. “As a young boy. The monks there helped me. The most I remember from being inside was that the bookshelves seemed to go up and on forever like I’d never reach the end if I tried.”

            “I have tried,” Jinki smirked, “And they don’t end. Or, well, I hadn’t reached it in the three years I was there.”

            “If you don’t mind me asking, Your Highness,” Jonghyun finally looked over at him then, hands clasped behind his back. “If you feel like an outsider in your own home, why accept your claim to the throne?”

            “I won’t mind if you allow me to ask you something of my own, Jonghyun.” When the man bowed his head in acceptance, Jinki continued. “In the scroll, you were given of me, how in depth did it go into my early life?”

            “Vaguely. Mostly ages of when certain powers were known to develop.”

            “My mother died giving birth to me and while my Father has been the only one to outright blame me for it, I knew my brothers felt the same way. They were kinder in that sense to never verbally tell me so.” He leaned his head back against the couch, eyes fluttering for a moment before he began to talk again and found Jonghyun’s gaze. “When I developed my first power my father was so startled he called me a demon. I was only three, levitation of objects. It had been so long since a Wizard was born to the Royal Family he questioned my origins if he was my father. Being that I’m a spitting image of his own father, his doubts were quickly extinguished.”

            “Your Highness, you don’t have-”

            Jinki shook his head, “If you are to guard me as my Father requires than you need to know, really understand who I am. What makes me who I am. I am not the rightful King. Jaeho was. I am a consolation prize. To answer your question, I accepted my claim to the throne in the small hope that for once I wouldn’t be a disappointment to my Father, to my bloodline that has sat on the throne of this kingdom for the last fifteen generations before me. For some reason, his opinion of me matters deeply to me still.”

            Jonghyun was silent for a long time then, jaw tense and lips pressed together in a firm line. When he finally spoke, his eyes were hard. “I may only have known you for a few days and my opinion may not mean much, but I have a great history of reading people. I must say, Your Highness, I doubt you’re the consolation prize you view yourself as.”

            For once, Jinki didn’t have a snappy comeback. Instead, opting to stare at the back of Jonghyun’s head as the man turned to flip through one of the tomes on the bookcase he had stopped in front of.

            Interesting, indeed. He wasn’t sure why he had opened up and revealed so much of his past to a man he had only known for a few days, not for certain, but if everything worked out he would be around the man for a significant amount of time. If he was honest with himself he half expected Jonghyun to either laugh or walk back out the magic wall when he was finished answering his question. What kind of King had a complex about needing his Father’s approval? A bad one. That’s the correct answer. The entire situation intrigued him immensely and his fingers twitched against the book he had yet to continue to read.

—–--

            It felt right to have the white, soft flowy fabric over him again. The darkness of his mourning clothes felt suffocating. He knew their purpose and the respect wearing them meant, but he couldn’t say he wasn’t glad when the public mourning period ended. He was fastening his dagger to his thigh when he heard the soft clacks of Jonghyun’s boots coming down the distant hall. Sure enough, once he finished and had looked up the man was ascending the few stairs that led to the breakfast nook he was standing in. Jonghyun bowed slightly at the waist in greeting, “Good Morning, Your Highness.”

            “Good Morning, Jonghyun. How did you sleep?”

            “Soundly.”

            “Good. You’ll need it.”

            Jonghyun’s gloved hands were resting on the hilt of his sword casually once again, a habit Jinki had quickly pinned him for. “Are we going somewhere of dire danger this morning, Your Highness?”

            "Nothing too dire I hope.” He wrinkled his nose, brushing his hands over the fabric of his shirt. Once satisfied he was ready, he let his hands fall to his sides. “I haven’t been to the Wizard’s keep by the bay since just before I first left for Bochlis. My Master, there is expecting me.”

            “That doesn’t exactly sound dangerous, Your Highness.”

            “In theory? It isn’t.” Jinki walked over to the small table on the left side just down the set of steps. He wiggled each ring onto his fingers quickly and familiar as he continued, looking around the room for his cloak. “However, to reach the keep, one must travel around the cliff multiple times up a steep incline. The path is also too narrow for more than two horses to walk beside each other comfortably.”

            “Ah, you’re worried about an ambush.”

            “There is no reason to believe that whoever wished my brothers dead don’t also wish that fate on me. Just stay vigilant, Jonghyun.”

            “Always, Your Highness.”

            Jinki paused in clasping his cloak to send a little smile in Jonghyun’s direction. “Good. Come, My Master is expecting me before High Noon tea. We must make haste.”

—–--

            Jonghyun looked up the rock and grass of the cliff’s edge for a moment before returning to watch the dust of the path billow as their horses moved forward. “Your Highness?”

            The young Prince turned, eyes slow to find his. There was a kind smile on his face, the breeze blowing softly past them. “Yes, Jonghyun?”

            "You wouldn’t happen to know why they chose to build the keep here of all places, would you?” He adjusted his hands on his reins as he continued. “It just seems far too dangerous for the inhabitants to travel down for supplies to live.”

            “I just so happen do.” The Prince’s attire was different than he had seen in the two weeks he had worked for him. He supposed today was the first day out of mourning. He looked more at ease, relaxed than in days past. His body wasn’t as tense, his hands gently holding the reins in his lap, his feet swinging just a little in the stirrups. “Back during the Wizard Wars some hundred years ago, when the last Wizard King sat upon the throne, they decided to move the keep somewhere safer. This location was chosen because of how hard it was to reach it. The path up is too narrow for cannons or wagons, and very few soldiers could stand in a row as they marched up. Before the fear that the knowledge and artifacts that are housed here now would fall into enemy hands, the keep used to be in the Northern Tower connected to the Castle. My rooms.”

            “This keep has stood untouched for a hundred years?”

            “Mostly. Right before my Eldest brother was born a rogue Wizard managed to break the defenses and scale the tower. If you look to the back of the tower, toward the sea, you can still see the scorch marks from where their spell backfired.”

            “Spell, Your Highness?”

            “They tried to translocate the entire attic of the Keep.” Jinki hummed as he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing fallen strands back softly. “The spell backfired because it meddled with a very powerful artifact kept up there. The different schools of magic, the aura around them, didn’t mix and in consequence, the spell blew up in their hands. They flew out over the edge of the cliff and fell into the rocks in the sea below.”

            “That’s awful.”

            “Oh, Completely. My master once told me how there were adept Wizards were sent to clean up the scene. He described it in way too much detail for an eleven-year-old to hear.” Jinki shook his head slightly, before pressing his lips together. “Gruesome.”

            “That’s even more awful, Your Highness.”

            “Well-” Abruptly the man stopped speaking, eyes squinting as they peered across the path. His hand was on his dagger on his thigh a moment later. “We have company.”

            Jonghyun followed his lead and dismounted. He pulled his sword from the scabbard, fingers flexing on the hilt. He took a few steps until he was next to Jinki. He didn’t fail to notice the bright light swirling around his left hand. His question died on his lips as men jumped up from the path’s edge, armed to the teeth. He turned to relay a plan to Jinki, but the man had already rushed forward to meet their attackers. He hissed a curse before joining him.

            He realized that Jinki had the two he was fighting handled easily, swiping low and knocking the two men off balance with his right leg, air swirling under them as they landed and tossing them a few dozen feet in the air as Jinki straightened once again. The men crashed into the dirt with loud groans and didn’t move to get up as Jinki turned to the next. Jonghyun blinked before focusing on the closest attacker to himself.

            The small group of soldiers that had been sent with them were doing their best to aid them while trying to keep the horses and themselves out of the line of fire. The battle blurred together for Jonghyun, the sounds of metal scraping against metal, the snap and sizzle of Jinki’s magic. He was disarming one of the last men in front of him when he saw the Sorceress by the edge, lips moving just as quick as her hands as she focused. He quickly disposed of his attacker, twisting around the back of another and slid between her and Jinki, hand held out. As the spell came rushing to him, it backfired, ricocheting off his palm and barreling toward the woman. She flew over the edge of the cliff with a scream.

            Just like that, the attack ended as quickly as it arrived. He was about to turn around to check on Jinki when he felt an arm tight around his waist and the cool metal of a blade against his throat. Jinki’s voice was deep as he hissed against his ear. “You’re a lithe.”

            “I am.”

            “Were you sent to kill me?”

            He rose his hands slowly, making a point to drop his sword where Jinki could see. “The King knows. Me being a Lithe is the reason I was hired. To protect you against magic users.”

            “Am I supposed to trust you after this was kept from me?”

            Jonghyun swallowed thickly, the dagger against his throat a little too close for comfort. “I thought you were told, Your Highness. I mean you no harm, I promise.”

            For a few, slow and almost deadly moments, the blade was kept against his throat. Then it was removed and Jinki stepped back, letting him go. When Jonghyun turned around, slowly picking up his sword to return it to his scabbard, Jinki was moving to wipe his dagger with a dark cloth he had in his other hand. He looked up then, hair falling into his eyes, “If you ever decided to try to use my magic against me, just know I can gut you like a fish.”

            “Point taken, Your Highness.”

            Jinki sighed then as he put his dagger away, eyes closing for just a moment before he bowed his head. “My apologies for that. It startled me and I was defensive.”

            Jonghyun rubbed his neck absentmindedly. “You’re forgiven, Your Highness. I should have told you what I was.”

            The Prince smiled then, juxtaposed to the deadly expression he had just wielded. A soldier handed him the reins to their horses and he held out Jonghyun’s. “Let’s get going. There may be more.”

            “Of course, Your Highness.”

—–--


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinki finds just how important his trust means to Jonghyun

           Jinki bowed at the waist, hands clasped in front of him, as the older man entered the center room of the Keep. “Hello, Master. It’s been quite a while.”

           “Almost four years, my young apprentice.” The man scowled, wrinkled features twisting with the expression. “You could have at least wrote.” 

           “I should have, I apologize.” The air in the room was pleasant and gentle, but it all froze as Jinki’s gaze shifted to his right to where Jonghyun was standing near the arched doorway. “Let’s continue this in the next chamber. Alone.” 

           Jonghyun kept his gaze until Jinki turned and broke the contact, disappearing up the stairs into the next room. He swallowed thickly, realizing just how much he had fucked up not telling Jinki what he was.

\-----

           The ride back to the castle was silent and uneventful. Night had begun to settle as they rode into the courtyard. When Jinki quickly dismounted, Jonghyun followed without a word. He lost track of the possible intended destinations as he followed him through hallway after hallway, twisting through the expansive castle. Until he stopped, waving his hand to force a large door at the end of the wide hallway open. Before he could get close enough to see what or who was in the room, he overhead Jinki calmly ask. “Do you hold so little value of me that you would hire a lithe to protect me, Father?” 

           Jonghyun silently stepped into the light coming through the doorway, standing just in front of the opposite wall. Around Jinki he could see the King sitting at a very large desk and a few dignitaries that looked fairly important. The red tint forming on the King’s skin showed how angry he was becoming. His voice was loud and booming as he stood from his chair. “This is absurd. How dare you storm in here, questioning my actions.” 

           “It is my life. My safety. I’ll question whoever puts those at risk.” Jinki’s hands curled into fists at his sides. Jonghyun couldn’t see his face, but with the tension present in his back, he could only image\ine the defiance written on his expression. “I should have been involved in the decision, but of course,  _ Your Majesty _ , my opinion on important matters means not to you.” 

           When the King spoke again, his voice was softer, almost too quiet for Jonghyun to catch what was said. “I will never understand why they had to be the ones to die.”

           Jinki didn’t move at the words except for the way his fists curled tighter. His voice was steady and firm. “I apologize for existing. I know you’d rather I not.”

           Then he turned on his heel and walked from the room. Jonghyun caught his gaze for just a moment, but that was enough to see the pink of his eyes and the trembling of his lip. Jonghyun pressed his lips together before following a few steps behind. When they arrived at Jinki’s rooms, the Prince walked to his bedroom and pulled the curtain. Jonghyun tried to ignore the soft sounds of his cries for the rest of the night.

\-----

           For weeks, Jonghyun tried to respect Jinki’s wishes to not speak unless absolutely necessary. He would walk a few more steps behind him, hold his tongue when he thought the man’s plans for traveling detail were ignorant and was short and sweet when spoken to. He also refused to use any magic around him, which Jonghyun knew was a conscious decision from how much the man had used it the weeks prior to the trip up to the keep. Try as he might to be patient, as the sixth week passes without a change to the relationship between them, Jonghyun has had enough. 

           It’s after dinner, the empty plates stacked at the end of the table in the middle of the room. Jinki is sitting at the head of it, leg crossed over the other, book in his lap and hand holding his head up as he leans on the arm of the chair. Jonghyun clenched his teeth before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. It was now or never. As his eyes opened he kicked the door closed, flicking the lock. “We need to talk, Your Highness.” 

           Jinki looks up slowly, eyebrow raised as he calmly says. “Indeed we do.”

           “I cannot guard you if you have no trust in me. We cannot go on with this agreement when you refuse to speak to me for more than just a few words when you can’t ignore me.”

           The prince hums, closing his book and straightening against the back of the chair. “It seems we’re at an impasse.” 

           “I should have told you what I was, but I was under the impression you knew. You must understand the level of vetting I was required to go through to be given this job.” He sighed, flexing his fingers where he held his hands behind his back. “I mean you no harm. Besides, you’re one of the only wizards alive with a power that being a lithe doesn’t protect me from.” 

           That gets Jinki’s attention as he leans forward in his chair, eyes narrowing slightly. “How do you know about that power? It’s not in my records.” 

           “There are rumors, Your Highness, of the youngest Prince refusing to touch people because of a power to enslave their minds. The way you reacted to me kissing your hand when we first met cemented my suspicions.” 

           “You could be wrong.”

           “But I’m not.”

           A slight pause before Jinki relents, eyes fluttering for a moment before they're just as cold as they were. “You knew of these rumors, found them to be true, and yet here you are almost desperate for my trust in you.”

           “I had no ill intentions toward you, Your Highness, so I felt that you’d never feel threatened enough to have to use it.” 

           “What’s to say I won’t use it anyway to guarantee your loyalty?” 

           “If that’s what it takes,” Like most of the time he had been in his service, reading him was difficult with the blank stare reflecting back at him. He gently reached behind his neck, unclasping the neck guard and holding it in front of him. “For you to trust me again, Your Highness.” 

           Jinki doesn’t move for some time, eyes focused on the skin newly revealed to him. Then he rises gracefully, the skirt of his robe falling around his legs as he takes the dozen steps to him. His hand slowly lift before Jonghyun can feel the soft warmth of his touch against his neck. Jinki’s still expressionless as Jonghyun lifts his chin and holds his gaze. For a few stagnant, fearful moments, the hand remains and Jonghyun holds his breath waiting to feel the power wash over him, but then the hand is softly removed as Jinki looks away. “My trust has never meant that much to anyone.” 

           “It does to me.” 

           “You have it.” Jinki finds his gaze again, shoulders straightened as he says, “I have had convicted war criminals beg on their knees for that power to not be their punishment, and yet you stand before me willing such punishment just to show the importance of my trust in you. Interesting.” 

           “I’ll do what I must to protect you, Your Highness.”

           Jinki turns away, returning to his chair and his book. He smooths out his skirt with his hands before he looks up again. “Never ask that of me again.”

           “Of course, Your Highness.” Jonghyun gives a soft smile. “One more thing, if I may?”

           “It just so happens tonight is a fortuitous one for you, Jonghyun. What is it?”

           “Try to not allow your father’s incorrect views of you tarnish your self-worth.” Jonghyun then bowed his head slowly. “May I be dismissed to my room for the night, Your Highness?”

           Jinki stared at him, blinking rapidly for a few minutes before he closed his eyes and waves his hand at him. “Yes. Goodnight Jonghyun.”

\------

           The warm sun filtering through the tall, glass windows told Jinki is was at least mid-morning, and although he knew he had a fitting today with the tailors for his coronation attire, not a bone in his body wished to move itself from the comfort of his bed. He groaned quietly when he heard Jonghyun’s voice from the other side of the partition. “Your Highness?” 

           “Please go away.” He grumbled.

           “I have your breakfast.” After another moment, he spoke again. “May I come in?” 

           Jinki lifted from his pillows just enough to look toward the direction of the voice, squinting at the shadow. “Are you going to make me get up?” 

           Jonghyun chuckled quietly, “I cannot make you do anything, Your Highness. Only strongly advise.” 

           “Fine. You may enter.” 

           Sure enough, as Jonghyun entered there was a tray in his hands. The curtain fell back into place as he stepped closer to the bed. Jinki grumbled quietly before pushing up off the bed and turning to sit up. His blanket fell to his lap just as Jonghyun moved to rest the tray across it. “I must say, I never pictured you to be so morose in the morning, Your Highness.” 

           “Bite me.” 

           That must have tickled him for how he was trying not to laugh. “Enjoy your breakfast. I’ll be outside when you wish to be a human being, Your Highness.” 

           Jinki pretended to not notice the double take Jonghyun made as he turned to leave the room. What? It’s not like he hadn’t seen him half naked before… Right? 

\-----

           “Ah, I’m so happy you’ve decided to grace the world of the living with your presence, Your Highness.” 

           Jinki flicked his braid over his shoulder and looked at him. “Can we go back to the silent treatment?” 

           “Trust comes with sass. I don’t make the rules.” 

           “I feared as much.” Jinki sighed deeply before pushing his dagger into it’s place on his thigh. “Let’s go get this over with.”

           Jonghyun grinned, and it widened as Jinki rolled his eyes.

\----

           As they left the great hall, Jinki’s jaw was clenched tight, his hands curled into soft fists at his side. He hadn’t realized the direction he had walked in until he looked up at staring down at him was the official portrait of his Grandfather. The silence of the room was shattered as Jonghyun softly asked, “What is this place?” 

           “The Hall of Kings.” He quietly replied, gazing up at the man he had fond memories of as a young child. The man wasn’t around for very long, in his late eighties when he was born, but the few years he was around Jinki could remember vividly. Sitting on his knee and being told outlandish stories, the pride reflected in his eyes when he witnesses a power, the love. He missed that. Love. He wasn’t sure if he remembered what that felt like. “Each reigning monarch has an official portrait painted during the first few years of their reign. Usually. My grandfather wanted to look more established and waited until his thirties.” 

           “When do you plan to have yours done, Your Highness?” 

           “When I don’t look like a child.” He moved away from the portrait, walking down the hall, further into time. “I would really appreciate not being preserved for all time and being remembered as the boy King.”

           “You should wear blue during it, Your Highness.” Jonghyun smiled sweetly when Jinki gaze him a sideways glance as they walked, “The color they chose for your coronation works well with your complexion.” 

           “Thank you, I suppose.” He gave a quick, easy smile before it vanished as quick as it showed. “Besides, I have to make it to the throne before I really think about my portrait, don’t I?”

           Jinki stopped in front of the last known Wizard King, a hundred years prior, as Jonghyun softly asked, “Do you have an inclination that you won’t make it to your coronation day?” 

           “Anything is possible, Jonghyun. We’re all going to die someday. Who am I to second guess the grand design?” 

           Then he turned sharply on his heel and headed toward the door on the opposite end of the room, soft fabric swirling around his legs, ending the conversation as his boots echoed off the marble ceilings.

\-----


End file.
